My interest in canned salmon has recently been reignited, so I decided to start playing around with it again. I figured a good salmon burger would be a great place to start, but I wanted to make it a little more special. So, I threw some of my Homemade Cajun Seasoning into the mix and ended up with a burger that is super flavorful and easy. It’s safe to say that these Cajun Salmon Burgers are going to be a staple on my “easy weeknight dinners” list!
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Why Canned Salmon?
Canned salmon might not be the first choice for everyone, but it’s super convenient and a great economical choice since it’s shelf-stable. You can keep canned salmon on hand for last minute meals, without worrying about it spoiling. You can certainly use fresh salmon, if preferred. Just cook the salmon through before preparing the burgers. You’ll need about 1 cup cooked and flaked salmon.
Can I use Store Bought Cajun Seasoning?
Yep! Just be aware that many prepared Cajun seasoning blends contain a lot of salt, so you may have to use a light hand. That’s why I prefer to use my own Cajun seasoning, which allows me to adjust the salt as needed. For these Cajun Salmon Burgers I used 1/4 of my Homemade Cajun Seasoning recipe, or about 1/2 Tbsp in volume.
How to Serve Cajun Salmon Burgers
I took the easy route and topped my burgers with some spring mix and a couple of tablespoons of guacamole. You could always take a more traditional route and do just a little mayo, lettuce, and tomato. Or, if you want to get a little fancy, you can mix up some remoulade sauce to use in place of the mayo. These Cajun Salmon burgers would also be great on a salad, instead of being served on a bun!
Cajun Salmon Burgers
Servings 2Ingredients
- 6 oz. Canned Salmon (boneless, skinless) ($4.69)
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs ($0.06)
- 1 large egg ($0.25)
- 1 Tbsp mayonnaise ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp stone ground mustard ($0.02)
- 1 green onion, sliced ($0.05)
Cajun Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp oregano ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp thyme ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/8 tsp onion powder ($0.02)
- 1 pinch cayenne (or to taste) ($0.01)
- 1 pinch freshly cracked pepper ($0.01)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)
For Cooking:
- 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.02)
- 1/2 Tbsp butter ($0.03)
Optional for Serving:
- 2 buns ($0.83)
- 1/4 cup guacamole ($0.66)
- 1 cup spring mix ($0.32)
Instructions
- Drain the canned salmon and add it to a bowl with the breadcrumbs, egg, mayonnaise, mustard, green onion, and Cajun seasoning spices. Stir to combine the ingredients, then refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow time for the spices to blend and the breadcrumbs to absorb moisture.
- After 30 minutes, shape the salmon mixture into two patties, about 3-4 inches in diameter each.
- Heat the oil and butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Once the butter is melted and begins to foam, add the salmon burgers and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until the burgers are well browned.
- To serve, place one burger on each bun, add 2 Tbsp guacamole to each, and top with a small handful of spring mix. Enjoy!
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Nutrition
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Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Cajun Salmon Burgers – Step by Step Photos
This is the brand of canned salmon I used and it was really good. Nice chunks, no skin, no bones. It was $4.69 at my local health food store, but Kroger has it for $3.59 on their website (the Kroger in my neighborhood didn’t stock it). This isn’t sponsored, I just tried this brand because I had read some good reviews on it.
Drain the canned salmon and then add it to a bowl. If you want to use fresh salmon, just cook it and flake it up first. You’ll need about 1 cup cooked salmon.
Add 1 large egg, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, 1 Tbsp mayonnaise, 1/2 tsp coarse ground mustard, 1 sliced green onion (I forgot to add it until after this photo) and the Cajun seasoning blend: 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, 1/8 tsp onion powder, a pinch of cayenne, a pinch of freshly cracked pepper, and 1/8 tsp salt.
Mix all of those ingredients together until evenly combined, then refrigerate this mixture for 3o minutes. This gives the spices time to really blend together and the breadcrumbs time to absorb some of the liquid.
After 30 minutes, shape the salmon mixture into two patties. Each should be about 3-4 inches in diameter. The mixture will be fairly wet, but don’t worry, they will firm up when the egg cooks.
Heat 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil and 1/2 Tbsp butter in a skillet over medium heat. When the butter is melted and is starting to foam, add the salmon burgers and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until they are well browned.
To build the salmon burgers place one patty on each bun, top with 2 Tbsp guacamole, and a small handful of spring mix.
Enjoy!!
Do you think these would freeze well? If so what would you wrap them in? Ty.
Yes! I would freeze them before cooking if you can. Then you can actually cook them from frozen (extending the cooking time a bit). I would form patties on parchment paper, freeze them, then cut the parchment paper so you can stack the patties and put in a freezer bag. Good luck!
I’ve made these over a dozen times and LOVE them. I usually double the recipe to have extras for leftovers. I cut them up and put in large tortilla as a wrap instead of a bun. My son was hungry and suggesting we dine out tonight. I said I was planning to make these and he said “That’s cool, those are tasty.” Thank you Budget Bytes!
Can you use sockeye salmon
Canned Sockeye Salmon would be fine!
Could these salmon patties be cooked in the oven rather than fried in oil and butter on the stovetop? Thanks! Love your recipes!
Baking these patties may work out okay, but you won’t likely achieve the same amount of browning in the oven and they won’t be as crispy/crunchy as our version. Since we haven’t tested this recipe in the oven, I hesitate to give you and specific suggestions that might not be successful! But don’t let me stop you! ~ Marion :)
Beth!! Did it again. I had a 14 oz can of Aldi salmon that I had to take the skin off and debone. So, I have no clue how many oz of salmon I actually have but it made about four burgers. I just added a little extra of everything but kept 1 egg. I made breadcrumbs from freezer bread. I used onion powder instead of green onion. I used the cheapest buns I could find. I used spicy guacamole. The Cajun seasoning I did use a fancy kind from Whole Foods that makes everything delicious. I am in love with this!
My family all complimented this recipe and said it’s their favorite way to have salmon patties. Thank you for another winner Budget Bytes!
Just an FYI for Canadian readers: President’s Choice makes a 170g (120g drained) canned salmon that is equivalent to the 6-oz can called for in this recipe. And it’s delicious!
Hi Beth. Your cajun salmon burgers recipe calls for “6 oz. Canned Salmon (boneless, skinless)” And I assume when salmon is canned (just like tuna) that there is extra liquid/water/broth that needs to be drained off; thus, there ends up being less than 6 ounces of canned fish. Could I substitute a 5 ounce pouch of boneless skinless salmon?
A 5oz. pouch will probably be pretty close to what’s in the 6oz. can. I think it’s a safe bet! :)
Oohhh man this recipe is so so yummy!! I’ve made it with salmon, ground turkey, and ground beef and it’s always perfect! The flavors are really unique, and the guac is a perfect topping with it!
Do you think that this recipe would work well with ground gator meat?
I’ll be honest, I’ve never cooked with gator meat and have only eaten it once in my life (decades ago), so I have no idea if the flavors or texture would work in this recipe. 😅
Made this a few times now, super tasty! I’m trying to cut out more conventional meats and be mostly pescatarian so these are a godsend for when I’m craving some burgers!
I was looking for a good alternative to a beef burger and I’m glad this is it! The flavour is really good and not fishy at all. Good for eating fish inexpensively as well.
Amazing Burger…. Great recipe….. thanks
I see others have freeze this recipe. Should the burgers be frozen before cooking or after?
We’re definitely novices but we froze prior to cooking, individually wrapped and bagged together. I made about 15 total and they have been cooking well a couple weeks later. I use these for dinner salads, which we are eating often.
This was so much nicer than I expected. And it’s such good value because you will already have everything you need in your cupboards.
My burgers came out a little fragmented due to a different can size in Canada, but the taste was amazing – as good as any salmon burger I’d order at a pub here. Great smoky undertone in a relatively mild burger that I kicked up a notch by using spicy guac (probably a great option for those with fussy eaters, who can leave the guac out). Can’t wait to impress family and friends this summer with this recipe :)
Delicious! I was a bit worried about how wet and goopy the patty was that it wasn’t going to hold together, but thankfully she put that in her recipe not to worry about it because it wasn’t a problem.
It was really yummy! May want to add more spices/ seasoning either in the patties or my guacamole but family all liked it! My dad thought I bought the patties pre made.
I didn’t really use Tony’s til I moved to the south, now of course it’s a home staple. But you’re right about the salt, what I normally do is a sprinkling of Tony’s and then an extra pinch of cayenne because what I’m really after is the kick!
It really makes a difference!
We LOVE this recipe – so much so that I made enough to freeze half a batch of uncooked burgers for an easy dinner another night!
I do use a premade cajun spice blend since I have some in the cupboard, and we garnish with plain ol avacado, spinach, and tomato.
Thanks for the recipe – we’ll never buy premade salmon burgers again!
So tasty! I have never used canned salmon before and was a bit worried, but these burgers did not disappoint. I eat as burger night one, then I meal prep salads with however many additional burgers I have made.
Happy to hear it!
I told my kids we were having burgers (but left out what kind), they loved these. They said these were better than normal hamburgers (they are in a terribly picky stage) so huge win. These were great!
Amazing! Haha! What you don’t know can’t hurt you, right? :)
Looks good would probably nix the cayene not a fan of heat and I usually buy my salmon at Aldis.
I’m excited to try these and now the weather is finally getting nice, I’d like to try grilling them! How long/high would you suggest? Or would that be a bad idea?
I’m sure you could definitely cook them on a grill, but unfortunately I don’t know what setting or how long without testing it. I feel like they’re pretty forgiving, though, so I’m sure you could wing it. :)
These were soooo good! I am not a seafood person but thought I would branch out, plus I knew my hubs would love these. So easy, so good, so fresh. I think this is the first time I ate Salmon, too! Thank you. Found you from your live video with Jessica Fisher – trying out a bunch of your recipes now!
I made this and it was amazing. Two questions, is there anything I can sub for the mayo? Also, how would I bake them in the oven?
It might be possible to sub Greek yogurt for the mayo, but I haven’t tested that, so I’m not sure how it will affect the flavor and texture. And unfortunately I haven’t tried baking these either, so I’m not sure how that would turn out.
Quick. Easy. Delicious. Enjoyed it on a brioche bun with mixed greens. Didn’t have any avocado or guac, sadly, but I didn’t miss it that much either.
Excellent dinner, and easy to make. The guacamole is great on top of the burger.
Would these freeze well?
I would think so, but I haven’t tried it to know for sure. :)
Great! I used Panko for the breadcrumbs because it’s what I had in the cupboard. Ate it over a salad with lemon juice and olive oil. Thanks for another awesome recipe!
Delicious!! Best canned salmon recipe I’ve ever eaten. Thank you SO MUCH!
Really love this recipe! It’s super easy and I typically have most of the ingredients on hand – just have to buy the salmon. I have been eating these without a bun, just over some spring mix with lots of lime juice and half an avocado. I also don’t love oregano and thyme, so I just left those out and the seasoning was still so good. Also a great recipe for meal prepping lunches at the beginning of the week.
Would love to post a photo but dont see where to..made this for myself for dinner..easy to prepare..made the mix at lunch time n let it sit for 30 min. Made burgers n chilled for the afternoon. Served one on a burger bun with a bed of romaine n topped with mashed avocado n lime juice and topped with fresh thin sliced English cucumber..great meal n have one left to freeze for another time!
Why would you rate this 3 stars just bc you can’t post a photo? Has nothing to do with the recipe
Why would you assume that’s the reason it’s a 3 star review? Nowhere in Martha’s comment is it explicitly or even implicitly stated that’s the reason for the 3 stars. I banish you to the shadow realm!
Thank you YU-GI-OHI !! <3
This is a great deal. Occasionally, you’ll see it on a menu at a seafood restaurant, and it’s about $16 per sandwich.
I didn’t realize you had a homemade Cajun seasoning!! I’m still dumbfounded as to why store bought has sooo much salt it makes it useless. We tend to heavily season our food.
This recipe was easy to make and delicious! 10 out of 10.
These were very good! I didn’t eat mine on a bun. Instead I had sides of homemade slaw and french fries to go with it! Yum.
I don’t have canned salmon but I have some canned tuna. Would that work?
Yes, I think you could definitely do a tuna burger. :)
I just made some with tuna. So good.
These were tasty!
The topping of guacamole was spot on — I don’t think I’d have liked them as much with standard burger toppings. Word of warning: Chicken of the Sea “Traditional Style” salmon has bones and skin. Most of the bones are really tiny and crumbly and I suspect are ok for eating but I didn’t favor that and picked them out. I got it because it was one of the more economical brands and came in can large enough for a double batch, but I think next time I’ll spring for the brand Beth suggests here.
Costco often has the Wild Planet brand on sale for a pretty good price! :)
And just a side note, those bones are totally okay to eat, and actually very good for you (lots of calcium). …But I can’t handle the texture myself. :P
Hi Beth, burgers look good! I need to try them sometime…
I just wanted to let you know, the recipe displays really odd on RSS, like
“1/4 cup breadcrumbs (~TN0~xxx xxxxxx xxxxxxxx
xxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx […]”
This runs on for about half a page or something. Did you change something about how to code the price?
Just thought to let you know!
Sorry about that, Sam! I just fixed it. This has been happening randomly to posts lately, and no one can seem to figure out why. :( Luckily if I go in and resave the post it fixes it, but I just have to remember to check each time.
Made these tonight, a solid 10/10!
I used a roast salmon fillet I seasoned with Cajun seasoning prior to roasting. I was just a bit skeptical, as I usually use raw salmon fillet finely chopped for fish burgers. I was worried the precooked fish would be too dry, but the burgers were moist and super tasty. A huge hit!
Using fish as a sub in ‘burgers’ is a fairly recent thing. What I grew up with in South Louisiana was Salmon Croquettes. They were made with essentially the same ingredients, shaped like an egg, then slightly flattened on three sides. We did not use them for burgers or sandwiches. They were always a good go to from the pantry.
This struck me as odd:
I took the easy route and topped my burgers with some spring mix and a couple tablespoons of Aldi guacamole.
There are No Aldi stores in Louisiana, nor are any planned. I had become fond of them in Chicago and upon moving back to New Orleans had to learn to live without them. It seemed hopeful when a Trader Joe’s opened here, so I contacted the parent company. They were very clear about having NO plans to open here. There are some in TX though.
Enjoy the recipes you post. Nice work.
Yeah, such a bummer that there are no Aldi’s down there! It has been such a game changer for me since moving to Nashville and they have a lot of the same things that Trader Joe’s has. I absolutely LOVE Aldi. :)
DANG IT! I just got rid of like 4 cases of canned salmon that I’d inherited because I was sure I’d never find anything good to do with it. Now I’m going to have to go buy some because they look yummy!
Thanks for this recipe. I always use a large can of salmon when making salmon burgers because, even though there’s just two of us, they freeze really well for an even faster meal.
Hi – I can’t stand mayo. Any suggestion on a substitute?
Greek Yogurt works well…adds a little tang with the spiciness
In this case, the mayo is part of the binding ingredients–since there is already an egg to do most of that work, you can just eliminate it, although maybe a tsp of oil would be a good alternative. If you don’t like mayo at all, I can understand not having it in your fridge, but it is the basis for lots of other delicious sauces–ie fast and easy aoli of various sorts that don’t require you to start from scratch. I don’t use mayo a lot and hate it as a sandwich spread, but add some sriracha or chipotles and it’s something quite different.
The mayo helps keep the burgers moist, so maybe sub a little oil (maybe a tsp).
Thank you so much!! Gonna try this for my salmon patties!! One of my favorite things to eat and is always a hit in our house!!!!!
I’ve been making Mel Joulwan’s salmon burgers (uses canned salmon) for ages, but sometimes I just want a simpler recipe – this looks great and will go on my menu immediately!
Just a quick note – for those of us avoiding grain products, I’ve found an equal amount of almond flour subs nicely for the bread crumbs.
Thank you so much for this tip!
Thanks so much for posting this recipe. My grandmother made salmon patties regularly, back in the l950’s and 60’s when I was a kid. Hers were always a little dry, but still tasty. I’m going to try your recipe, maybe with homemade tartar sauce, just mayo and diced dill pickles. Thanks doubly for posting a recipe with canned salmon which I always have in the house. (I buy it on sale for $2 for a 16 ounce can. So much better than $10-$20 a pound fresh.) I have looked for recipes for canned salmon online but haven’t found many, so keep up the good work.